Methane in soil gas may have undesirable consequences. The soil gas may be able to form a flammable mixture with air and present an explosion hazard. Aerobic biodegradation of the methane in soil gas may consume oxygen that would otherwise be available for biodegradation of gasoline hydrocarbons. The consumption of oxygen by methane may increase the chance of completing a vapor intrusion pathwa...

The activity of different transitional metals over modified H-ZSM-5 catalysts for methane conversion to aromatics was compared. The first group of catalysts was Mo-impregnated H-ZSM-5 zeolites with 1, 3 and 6 wt% of Mo. The second group was M(3 wt%)- impregnated H-ZSM-5 (M: Ag, Cd, Cr, Mo, Zn and Mn). The catalytic activity of the first group was investigated at 600, 700 and 800 °C and gas hour...

Peat bogs are primarily situated at mid to high latitudes and future climatic change projections indicate that these areas may become increasingly wetter and warmer. Methane emissions from peat bogs are reduced by symbiotic methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs). Higher temperatures and increasing water levels will enhance methane production, but also methane oxidation. To unravel the tempe...

The methane storage behavior in nanoporous material is significantly different from that of a bulk phase, and has a fundamental role in methane extraction from shale and its storage for vehicular applications. Here we show that the behavior and mechanisms of the methane storage are mainly dominated by the ratio of the interaction between methane molecules and nanopores walls to the methane inte...

Methane oxidation in the rhizosphere of wetland plants may significantly attenuate methane losses from wetland soils to the atmosphere. Our objective was to measure the extent of methane production and oxidation in the rhizosphere of a common wetland plant (Sagittaria landfolia L. Per.). Methyl fluoride (CH3F), a water-soluble gas and a specific inhibitor of methane oxidation, was used in conju...

Wetlands are significant sources of atmospheric methane. Methane produced by microbes enters roots and escapes to the atmosphere through the shoots of emergent wetland plants. Herbivorous birds graze on helophytes, but their effect on methane emission remains unknown. We hypothesized that grazing on shoots of wetland plants can modulate methane emission from wetlands. Diffusive methane emission...

BACKGROUND Methane is an attractive fuel. Biologically, methanogens in the colon can use carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce methane as a by-product. It was previously considered that methane is not utilized by humans. However, in a recent study, results demonstrated that methane could exert anti-inflammatory effects in a dog small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion model. POINT OF VIEW Actua...

Anaerobic digestion is a complex process involving hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. The separation of the hydrogen-yielding (dark fermentation) and methane-yielding steps under controlled conditions permits the production of hydrogen and methane from biomass. The characterization of microbial communities developed in bioreactors is crucial for the understanding and opt...

Methane seep systems along continental margins host diverse and dynamic microbial assemblages, sustained in large part through the microbially mediated process of sulfate-coupled Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AOM). This methanotrophic metabolism has been linked to consortia of anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). These two groups are the focus of num...

Soils serve as the biological sink of the potent greenhouse gas methane with exceptionally low concentrations of ∼1.84 p.p.m.v. in the atmosphere. The as-yet-uncultivated methane-consuming bacteria have long been proposed to be responsible for this 'high-affinity' methane oxidation (HAMO). Here we show an emerging HAMO activity arising from conventional methanotrophs in paddy soil. HAMO activit...